"Getting Her Groove Back: African American Women in Film, 1934-1995" is the title of the 2000 Winter Film Series sponsored by the JHMI Office of Cultural Affairs. The four-film series will take place on consecutive Wednesday evenings from Feb. 2 through 23 at 7 p.m. in the Preclinical Teaching Building's Mountcastle Auditorium.

Free and open to the public, the series attempts to trace the development of African American women's roles in films over 60 years--dropping in every 20 years from 1934 to 1995 with films featuring standout performances by Louise Beavers, Dorothy Dandridge, Baltimore's Tamara Dobson, Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochen.

Imitation of Life opens the series on Feb. 2, followed by Carmen Jones on Feb. 9, Cleopatra Jones on Feb. 16 and Waiting to Exhale on Feb. 23. Each event will include a short film and a speaker. Imitation of Life is the 1934 original version directed by John Stahl and starring Louise Beavers, Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Ned Sparks, Rochelle Hudson and Fredi Washington. The accompanying short is Illusions, a 1983 film directed by Julie Dash. Sheri Parks, associate professor of American studies at the University of Maryland and co-host of Media Matters on WJHU, is the speaker.

For more information, call 410-955-3363.

Louise Beavers appears in the 1934 film version of 'Imitation of Life.'

Dorothy Dandridge stars in 'Carmen Jones.'